In various arts transfer materials are used to make marks at desired locations on receptor surfaces. A common mode of accomplishing the transfer is to bring a body of the transfer material into juxtaposition with the receptor surface, then to apply and remove pressure upon the transfer material against the surface, thereby separating a portion of the transfer material from the bulk or body thereof and adhering it mechanically to the receptor surface. Another mode of transfer sometimes used is to pick up a portion of a body of transfer material with a carrier liquid, and to carry the picked-up portion by an application device to the surface, and to thereafter remove the carrier liquid, as by evaporation, from the applied portion of the transfer material. Examples of the first transfer mode include dressmaker's transfer or tracing paper, business carbon paper, and children's crayons. An example of the second transfer mode is the art of brush water color painting from cakes of water color paint.
In many instances, the transferred marking has only a temporary utility, and it is thereafter desired that it be readily removed from the receptor surface. An example is the dressmaker's guide marks on cloth after the seams have been sewn. In other instances, the transfer material, in addition to being transferred to the desired locations on the receptor surfaces, gets transferred to a variety of other undesirable locations. For example, a child may color the living room wall with his crayons as well as coloring in his coloring book. In such instances, it is desirable that the transfer material be readily removed from the undesired locations.
In the dressmaking art, tracing papers or transfer papers are employed in the following manner. The tracing paper is placed on a hard surface with the coated side up and the receptor fabric is placed on top of it. A pattern with suitable markings thereon is placed on top of the fabric, and pressure is applied to the marks on the pattern sheet by means of a tracing wheel or other instrument. The application of pressure results in transfer of some of the colored coating of the tracing paper to the under surface of the fabric. This transferred material must ultimately be removed from the fabric after it is cut and sewn. Usually this is done by washing or dry cleaning.
The transfer materials used to form coatings on dressmaker's tracing paper in the past have commonly consisted of high melting point vegetable or mineral waxes, petroleum oils, pigments and dyes. Successful removal of such materials from fabrics requires the use of extremely hot water (180.degree. F to 200.degree. F) and detergents, or the use of dry cleaning methods. Even so, such harsh procedures are not always successful in removing the markings.
Man made fibers, such as polyesters, acetate rayon, orlon, acrylon, nylon, dacron, dynel, and others are often susceptible to color fading and fiber damage when subjected to hot water and detergents. Such synthetic fabrics require cold water washing, which as is pointed out above, is ineffective for removing tracing paper markings.